Lighter



All@ 1l, 1942. P. l.. SPENCER V2,292,408

LIGHTER Filed Dec. 1. 1957 Patented Aug. 1l, 1942 LIGHTER g Percy L. Spencer, West Newton, Mass., assignor `to Raytheon Manufacturing Company,

Newton,

`Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application December 1, 1937, Serial No. 177,493

(Cl. 21S-32) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a cigarette lighter, and more particularly to such a lighter which is adapted for use in automobiles.

In cigarette lighters which are used in automobiles, itis desirable that the driver be given an indication of the time at which the lighting element of the device reaches its proper igniting temperature Without the necessity of the driver removing his attention from the road. I have found that a device which gives an indication to the sense of touch of the operator is one which produces a minimum diversion of the operators attention.4

An object of this invention, therefore, is to produce a cigarette lighter which will give to the operator a tactile indication at the time when the igniting element of the lighter reaches its proper temperature.

A further object of this invention is to produce such a device which .is simple, rugged and eicient.

The foregoing and other objects of my invention will 4be best understood from the following description of an exemplification thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein the figure represents the cross section of a cigarette lighter incorporating the salient features of my invention.

My lighting device consists of a lighting coil i made of resistance material and wound in the form of a flat spiral coil. The coil I is supported Within an insulating body 2 which is provided with an enlarged head 3 which may be manipulated by the" operator. The body 2 at. the end opposite the head 3 is provided with an external metal shell 4 to which one end of the coil I is connected by means of a conductor 5. The shell 4 thus forms one contact or connection for the coil I. The body 2 is provided with a longitudinal bore 6 through which passes a conducting rod 1. The inner end of the coil I is electrically connected to the rod 'I near its lower end at the point 8. Thus the rod 'I forms the other terminal or connection for the coil I. 'I'he rod 'I passes through a central opening in a dish-shaped bimetallic thermostatic disk 9. A disk of this type in its cold position possesses a curvature in one direction, such as is illustrated in the drawing. Whenthe disk is raised to a predetermined temperature, .it suddenly reverses its'curvature and snaps to the opposite position. This disk'9 is re tained in place on the rod I between a pair of shoulders I -I 0 provided on said rod. The outer edge of the disk 9 is retained in place within the and a retaining ring I2 threaded into the interior of the body 3. Suicientplay is permitted between the shoulders I0 and between the shoulder il and the retaining member' I2 to permit the snapping actionof the disk 9 described above to take place freely.

The portion of the lighter described above is adapted to be inserted into a socket member It. This socket member consists of an outer conducting shell I4 which carries an insulating disk I5 substantially closing the lower end thereof. The insulating disk I carries a central contact It provided with an extension member Il projecting through the disk I5 and ailording means for providing an external electrical connection to said contact I6. The disk I5 may be retained in place by means of a retaining ring I8. The upper end body 3 by being interposed between a shoulder II 55 of the shell i4 is made resilient, and is provided witha pressed-out annularportion I8 which thus forms an annular recess within it into which an annular projection 20 formed on the shell 4 may be received. Since the upper end of the shell I8 is resilient, the shell 4 may be slipped readily into place'within the shell I4, and the annular projection 20 will readily snap into place in the recess within the pressed-out portion I9. The recess within the portion I9'is made considerably longer than the projection 20 so that a limited longitudinal motion of the body 2 with respect to the socket may take place. Further in order to facilitate the insertion of the body 2 and its associated structure into the shell I4, the upper edge 2| is ared outwardly.

A conductor 22 extends from the extension member Il to one pole of the usual automobile battery 23. The other pole of said battery is grounded by means of a conductor 24. 'I'he shell I4 is likewise grounded at 25. Thus the contact I6 represents one terminal of a source of current, While the shell I4 represents the other terminal thereof. In order to bias the body 2 toward the outer position in the socket I3, a spring 26 is secured against the face of the insulating disk I5.

The outer end of said spring is adapted to bear against the lower surface of the insulating body` 2, and tends to force said body outwardly.

When the body 2 is inserted within the shell I4, the spring 26, as indicated above, biases the body 2 outwardly so that the projection 20 slides to the outer end of the recess within the pressedout portion I9. In t 's position the thermostatic disk 9 is in its cold position with its curvature as indicated in the drawing. However, due to the fact that the body 2 has been moved outwardly to a position in which the projection 20 bears against the upper end of the recess within the pressed-out portion I9, the inner end of the rod 1 is held away from the contact I6, and therefore the circuit to the coil I is incomplete. This is the normal inactive position of the lighter. When it is desired to put the lighter in operation, the operator presses against the outer end of the head I by means of one of his fingers 21.` This forces the body 2 inwardly until the projection 20 comes into contact with the inner edge of the recess within the pressedcut portion I9. 1n this position the inner end of the rod 1 makes an electrical connection with the contact I6, thus completing the heating circuit for the coil I. In this position it will be noted that the outer end of the rod 1 is retracted within the bore 6. As the coil I heats up to its proper temperature, some of the heat generated thereby is transmitted to the thermostatic disk 9 which likewise is heated. The disk 9 is so adjusted that when the coil I reaches its proper igniting temperature, the disk 9 reaches a temperature at which it snaps to a position in which its curvature is the reverse of that shown in the drawing. Due to this snapping action, the rod 1 will be snapped quickly to the right in the drawing. This first of all breaks the contact between the inner end of the rod 1 and the contact I6, whereby the heating current for the coil I is cut off. At the same time the outer end of the rod 1 projects substantially to the extent as indicated by the dotted lines in the drawing, and flris comes suddenly into contact with the finger 21 of the operator. This gives a definite blow to the finger which gives to the operator a tactile indication of the temperature of the coil I. Thus the operator at that time knows that the lighter is ready to be used. The body 2 with its associated structure is then removed from the socket by means of the head 3, and used to light a cigarette or similar article.

Of course it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular details of construction as described above inasmuch as many variations and equivalents will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. It will readily be appreciated that various other types of tactile indicators could be used which nevertheless would incorporate the novel features of the applcants invention as described above. It is accordingly desired that the appended claims be given a broad interpretation commensurate with the scope of the invention within the art.

What is claimed is:

l. A lighter comprising a body carrying an igniter element adapted to be heated to an igniting temperature, a bore extending through said body, a rod received in said bore and adapted to slide therein, a thermostat supported in said body and carrying said rod at the movable portion of said thermostat, said thermostat being located adjacent said igniter element and responsive to the temperature thereof, said rod in the cold position of said thermostat being retracted within said bore beyond the outer end thereof, said thermostat when moving to its hot position being adapted to project a portion of said rod beyond said body, whereby a tactile indication of the operating condition of said igniter element is produced.

2. A lighter comprising a body carrying an igniter element adapted to be heated to an igniting temperature, and means responsive to the temperature of said igniter element for imparting to the user of said igniter a tactile indication when said igniter element reaches its igniting temperature, a bore extending through said body, a rod received in said bore and adapted to slide therein, and a snap-acting thermostat supported in said body and carrying said rod at the movable portion of said thermostat, said thermostat being located adjacent said igniter element and responsive to the temperature thereof, said rod in the cold position of said thermostat being retracted within said bore beyond the outer end thereof, said thermostat when snapping to its hot position being adapted to project a portion of said rod beyond said body, whereby a tactile indication of the operating condition of said igniter element is produced.

3. A lighter comprising a body carrying an igniter element adapted to be heated to an igniting temperature, and means responsive to the temperature of said igniter element for imparting to the user of said igniter a tactile indica.- tion when said igniter element reaches its igniting temperature, a bore extending through said body, a rod received in said bore and adapted to slide therein, a. thermostat supported in said body and carrying said rod at the movable portion of said thermostat, said thermostat being located adjacent said igniter element and responsive to the temperature thereof, said rod in the cold position of said thermostat being retracted within said bore beyond the outer end thereof, said thermostat when moving to its hot position being adapted to project a portion of said rod beyond said body, whereby a tactile indication of the operating condition of said igniter element is produced, and means on said rod for completing an electrical heating circuit to said igniter element in the cold position of said thermostat and for breaking said circuit in the hot position of said thermostat.

4. A lighter comprising a body carrying an igniter element adapted to be heated to an igniting temperature, a bore in said body, a rod received in said bore and adapted to move therein, a thermostat supported in said body, said thermostat being responsive of said igniter element, said rod in the cold position of said thermostat being adapted to beretracted within said bore beyond the outer end thereof, said thermostat when moving to its hot position being adapted to cause a portion of said rod to project beyond said body, whereby a tactile indication of the operating condition of said igniter element is produced.

PERCY L. SPENCER.

to the temperature' 

